Fire- and pressure-proof assembly of building elements



L- WIDERBY Jan. 28, 1969 FIRE- AND PRESSURE-PROOF ASSEMBLY OF BUILDINGELEMENTS Sheet Filed Nov. 25, 1966 mvcm'oa: LENNART WIDERBY ATTYS.

L- WlDERBY Jan. 28, 1969 FIRE' AND PRESSURE-PROOF ASSEMBLY OF BUILDINGELEMENTS Sheet 2 012 Filed Nov. 25, 1966 INVENTORZ LENNART WIDERBY MWATTYS.

United States Patent 3,423,896 FIRE- AND PRESSURE-PROOF ASSEMBLY OFBUILDING ELEMENTS Lennart Wider-by, Jonkoping, Sweden, assignor toAktiebolaget Svenska Flaktfabriken, Stockholm, Sweden Filed Nov. 25,1966, Ser. No. 596,921 Claims priority, application Sweden, Nov. 25,1965, 15,239/65 US. Cl. 52-395 Claims Int. Cl. E04b 1/66, 2/58, 2/00ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Insulated building panels having interior andexterior surfaces with marginal grooves therein are joined togetherend-to-end by insulated U-shaped channel members having legs engagingsealing elements provided in the grooves of adjacent panels. The channelmembers are drawn together by a threaded fastener to provide a sealedjoint which permits limited displacement between the panels but whichprevents excessive displacement tending to open the sealed joint.

This invention relates to an arrangement adapted for joining buildingelements in a fireand pressure-proof manner, for example for theassembly of a plurality of building elements to form the ceiling andwalls in an apparatus room for fans. Each of the building elements is aslab-shaped closed sheet metal casing which preferably contains a heatand sound insulating material.

Heretofore it has been known only to manufacture apparatus rooms forsmall fan units, the ceiling and walls of which are assembled of entirepieces to be mounted together. In these apparatus rooms the jointsbetween the ceiling and walls meet the requirements to be made from afire and pressure point of view.

The present invention is intended to be utilized for the assembly oflarger apparatus rooms wherein the ceiling piece and the side piecescomprise a plurality of building elements joined to each other.Heretofore such apparatus rooms of the assembled type did not exist, dueto the high requirements to be met by the joints between the individualelements with respect to their resistance to fire and pressure.Different experiments have been made to find an acceptable solution ofthe problem, but no conventional joint so far has proved to comply withthe existing regulations for such assembled rooms.

The present invention has as its object to satisfy the requirements onapparatus rooms of the aforesaid assembled type. One of the requirementsis to prevent to the greatest possible extent heat transfer between theelements. A further requirement to be met is to prevent the joints fromopening when being subjected to heat or pressure stresses from one side,even when the stress causes bulging in the Wall or ceiling.

The present invention provides an insulated panel assembly having aplurality of panels disposed end-to-end and joined together along theiradjacent ends by U-shaped channel members disposed in grooves providedalong the inner and outer margins of the panels. An insulated seal isprovided in each of the grooves, so that when the channel members aredrawn together by threaded connecting means, a sealed joint is providedbetween the panels which resists opening caused by the tendency of thepanels to move apart when subjected to elevated temperatures andpressures.

An embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention is describedin a greater detail in the following, with reference to the accompanyingdrawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a joint according to the invention,

FIG. 2a is a foreshortened perspective view of a U- shaped channelmember shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2b is a fragmentary perspective view of a bottom beam forsupporting the channel member of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 2c is a fragmentary perspective view of a ceiling channel memberreceiving the upper end of the channel member of FIG. 2a;

FIG. Ed is a perspective view of a corner element for strengthening theinterconnection between the channel members of FIG. 20 and FIG. 2a;

FIG. 3 shows a building element and a detail of a corner.

FIG. 3a is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a corner of thepanel shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 1 illustrates a joint between two elements comprising a slab-shapedsheet metal casing 1 (see FIG. 3) having certain given dimensions. Thesheet metal casing contains a filling material 2 which preferably may bea heat and sound insulating material. The elements are joined togetherby two U-shaped channel irons 3 held together by bolts 4. The endportions of the elements comprise a plane plate 6 with the bolts 4passing therebetween. The legs of the sections 3 are bent over at theirouter edges 7, which edges are adapted to abut to the web in U-shapedgrooves 8 in the side surfaces 9 of the elements. For obtaining goodsealing and heat insulation, the webs of the grooves are provided withan insulating material 10. The channel irons 3 and the space between theend surfaces of the elements are also filled with a filling material inorder to prevent heat transfer and radiation between the elements. Eachof the bolts 4 is threaded at one end and provided with a nut 5, thehead at the opposite end of the bolt being provided with a boss 11 ofsquare cross-section, so that the bolt subsequent to the insertion ofthe boss 11 in corresponding square holes 12 in the sections cannot beturned when the nut is being tightened. (See FIG. 2.)

The channel irons 3 are utilized for the assembly of building elementsto ceiling and wall pieces. The distance between the channel irons 3relative one another is fixed by special bottom sections 13 whereby aframe structure is formed on which the building elements are mounted.When the elements are assembled a self-supporting construction isobtained which has high strength with respect to pressure and fire and alow heat transfer. For stabilizing the construction, special cornerelements 14 are provided in the transition between the ceiling andwalls. Upon strong pressure or heat stresses which causes the walls orceiling to bulge, the joints widen on one side until the legs 15 in theU-shaped grooves of the elements abut to the deflected edges 7 of thechannel irons, thereby preventing the joints from opening.

I claim:

1. A building panel assembly comprising: at least two panels each havinginner and outer walls disposed in parallel planes, each of said innerand outer walls having an end portion disposed in a plane spacedinwardly from and parallel to the plane of its respective wall to definea web along the end thereof. the panels being spaced-apart end-to-end toform an expansion space therebetween; an insulating sealing element onthe web of each panel wall; at least two U-shaped channel membersdisposed along the end margins of the panels on opposite inner and outersides thereof, each channel member bridging the expansion space andhaving a pair of legs respectively engaging the sealing elements on thewebs of adjacent panels to provide a wear-resistant sealed joint betweenadjacent panels preventing fluid communication through the space; aninsulating medium disposed between the legs of each channel member andbetween the walls of the panels to reduce the transfer of heat throughthe joint between the panels; and threaded means extending through saidspace connecting said channel members together to apply a sealingpressure parallel to and along the expansion space, the legs of thechannel members extending outwardly from the respective webs past thewall planes of the adjacent panels to permit displacement of the panelsaway from each other without opening the joint.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said panels hasan end plate disposed along its respective webs in a plane normal to theplane of the panel walls, said plate cooperating with said Web to forman outturned lip along the end margin of each panel wall, so that thelegs of the U-shaped channel members may operatively engage the lips ofadjacent panel walls upon separation of said panels to limit theseparation of the panels and thereby prevent the joint from opening.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each channel member isprovided with spaced apart shaped apertures, and said threadedconnecting means comprises a plurality of carriage bolts each having aboss inwardly of the head thereof engaging the shaped apertures in thechannel members to prevent rotation of the bolts when their respectivenuts are tightened, each of said bolts being spaced from the end platesof the adjacent panels to reduce the transfer of heat through the joint.

4. A building panel assembly comprising: at least two panels each havinginner and outer walls and an insulating medium provided therebetween,said inner and outer walls each having an end portion inset from theplane of each wall to define a web terminating in an outturned lip; anelongated plate secured lengthwise to the lip of each inner and outerpanel wall, the panels being spaced apart endto-end with the end platesof adjacent panels confronting each other to define an expansion spacetherebetween; an insulated sealing element disposed along the web ofeach panel wall; at least two U-shaped channel members disposed alongthe end portions of adjacent panels on opposite inner and outer sidesthereof to bridge the expansion space between the panels and provide ajoint therebetween, said U-shaped channel members each having a pair ofresilient legs respectively engaging the sealing elements of adjacentpanels to prevent fluid communication through the joint; an insulatingmedium disposed between said legs, and an inturned terminal portion oneach leg locking the insulating medium therebetween; and means spacedfrom said panel end plates and extending through said expansion space toconnect said channel members together and apply a sealing pressureparallel to and along the expnsion space and provide a wear-resistant,fluidtight joint between the panels, so that the resilient legs of thechannel members may operatively engage the lips of respective panelsupon separation of the panels to thereby prevent the joint from opening.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 including an elongated bottombeam having a longitudinal panel-receiving slot with a series oflongitudinally spaced enlarged portions receiving cooperating channelmembers to form an upright frame, whereby the spacing between the jointsis accurately determined to facilitate erection of the panel assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,251,019 12/1917 Harter 52-5842,927,665 3/1960 Hauf 52584 X 2,962,133 11/1960 Kivett 52-468 X FOREIGNPATENTS 573,614 1924 France. 593,591 1947 Great Britain.

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,423,896 January 28, 1969 Lennart Widerby It is certified that errorappears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent arehereby corrected as shown below:

Colman 2 line 13, cancel "shows a building element and a detail of acorner" and insert is a perspective view of an insulated panel embodyingthe present invention; and Column 4, line 12, "expnsion" should readexpansion Signed and sealed this 24th day of March 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

' WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Edward M. Fletcher, Ir.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

